Western Lord, Meet Western Maiden
by AbhorsenSabriel87
Summary: This is basically just my fic Nikki's Story rewritten with more detail and a semi-better plot! A young girl disrupts the lives of the Inuyasha characters and some odd happenings occur because of her! SesshoxOC pairing.
1. WTF

AbhorsenSabriel87: Hey loyal readers! I'm sorry about Nikki's Story being deleted, and unfortunately, none of my chapters were saved, so now I have to start over, but there are going to be a few changes to the story. First of all, I shall now only use my OC's, family, and/or friends as muses. There will be quote at the beginning of every chapter as well. Also, the rating has changed because there will be more detail and it's a slightly different storyline.  
Chibi Jou: Like what?  
Sabriel: --sighs-- Everyone meet Chibi Jou, my younger brother. You can find a humor fic about him and me on my bio page.  
Chibi Jou: You didn't answer my question.  
Sabriel: Introductions are necessary. Now, to answer my brother's question, this story will have more... adult themes implanted into it.  
Chibi Jou: Like what?  
Sabriel: --shoves him out of room-- Nothing a ten year old needs to be concerned with! --locks door-- Now that he's out of the room, I hope that all of you readers are mature enough (or at least old enough) to know what I'm talking about when I say "adult themes". Moving on... I need a disclaimer. --a brown haired, green eyed girl walks in-- Hey Anna! Will you do the disclaimer for me?  
Anna: Sure. --walks over--  
Sabriel: Anna is my first ever OC, before I even came on Her story is Twice Lost, Thrice Found, so read it if you want. I need reviews anyway.  
Anna: --rolls eyes and smiles-- AbhorsenSabriel87 does not own any Inuyasha characters, so please don't sue her because you'll lose.  
Sabriel: Yup. On with the fic!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Life is full of little surprises."

Pandora

----"So, where are we going this time?" A silver haired boy with golden eyes cast his gaze on the dark haired young women next to him. Both looked hardly over the age of seventeen, but here they were out in the middle of a small clearing miles from any village or town. The girl sighed and put down her book, the cover and pages littered with mathematical symbols, giving the boy a slight glare with her deep brown eyes. "I told you already Inuyasha," she said. "I just got back and I don't sense any Jewel Shards yet. And if I've told you once tonight, I've told you a hundred times, I need to study!" Her last words were shouted at the dog-eared boy, who flinched slightly, and glanced over to see that he had the attention of the two other adults in the camp as well. "What're you looking at?" he snapped at them. The two rolled their eyes and continued doing their separate tasks; the young monk reading a book, and the young lady sharpening her sword. Anger still present in the young man's system, Inuyasha got up and waked off into the woods, to no surprise of the rest of the group.

----The first girl sighed and put her book away after futilely trying to read it ten minutes later. "Why does he have to be like this?" she muttered to herself. The monk had also put away his book and now sat in the cradle of an old pine tree, looking at the young girl. "It's his nature, Kagome," he replied. "You know he doesn't take well to just wandering when he could be out fighting demons or capturing Jewel Shards."

----"Thankfully we've almost completed the Jewel," the other woman replied. "Then we won't have to worry about Naraku anymore." She smiled at the other girl and sheathed her sword expertly. "And don't worry about Inuyasha. He'll come back after he's cooled off a bit."

----Kagome nodded, but couldn't shake that feeling of guilt she had. He always did this, so why was she always guilty when he did? It wasn't her fault; he was just like that. She sighed and picked up her book again, determined to finish studying if it was the last thing she did.

----Inuyasha, however, was prowling through the wood, subconsciously begging for a demon to come so that he could rip it apart with his bare hands... well, _clawed_ bare hands. His red haori hung loosely about his skinny and muscled frame as he walked, bare feet silent on the forest floor. The grass was damp with dew already, even though the full moon had only just risen in the starry night sky, but either he didn't notice or didn't care. Either way, he was pissed and needed some sort of outlet before he exploded.

----Somehow, he'd made his way back to the main road, a good mile or so from camp, and just stared out at the empty road. A flicker of movement caught his eyes about twenty yards away at the bend in the road. Even though the dirt trail was dark, even with the moonlight, Inuyasha could clearly see that the form was humanoid and walking his way at a slow pace. 'Probably just some human peasant going home after a visit to another town,' he thought, and so he just sat there on the roadside, not really bothered by it... that is, until he caught the scent of blood. His nose twitched as a calm breeze blew downhill from the figure, carrying the scent of blood, both human and demon. He stood up and looked out to the figure again, and could now see that they had closed the gap to about ten yards. They were roughly over five and a half feet tall, with long hair that had a copper shine to it from the full moon. They were dragging a sword on the ground and, as they got closer, he could see that the other arm was clutching their shoulder. They walked quickly with a limp, but tripped suddenly and fell to the ground. They didn't rise.

----Inuyasha ran over to the fallen figure almost silently, and stepped back slightly at the immense scent of blood all over them, the majority of it demonic. Carefully, he stepped forward and looked over the figure. Long copper curls flowed down to their hips, where a sliver sash tied a blood-stained white kimono together. Their left hand held an intricate sword case, black with indented symbols he couldn't decipher, that held a long, thin sword, but not a katana like his Tetsusaiga in its untransformed form. Instead, it was equal in length for almost five feet until it cut sharply to a point at the end. The handle was wrapped with a green sash trimmed with gold, but the bright colors were barely visible under all the blood. Their feet were bare, but seemed untouched at all. "Hey!" he half shouted at them while turning them over. "Are you all-" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw not only that he was dealing with a woman, but when he saw her wounds.

----This young woman couldn't possibly be any older than Kagome, but her facial structure was different, sporting high cheekbones, petite but full pink lips, and a sloping jaw that could be described as an elf's. Her right hand not only clutched her badly bleeding left shoulder, but blood red prayer beads. On her left arm was a sash of black material and around her neck was a small pendant made of a red stone and a silver chain. The stone was glowing dully as if it had been spattered with blood as well, but unlike most of her it was completely spotless. The kimono was open only slightly, but enough for him to see that she had a leather band around full breasts and that various gashes crossed her chest and abdomen. Her breath was shaky, and she was shaking as if cold, but her skin was fire hot. 'She has a fever,' Inuyasha thought. 'Some of her wounds must be infected...but who would do something like this?' He scooped up the young woman in his arms gently and ran back to his camp to tell the others of his encounter.

----"I'm fed up with waiting for him!" Kagome shouted at the other dark haired woman. "I'm going out to get him right-"

----"Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice cut out through the trees as he came into her view outside the firelight. He was holding a young woman in his arms, a young woman who was seriously hurt. "I found her on the main road. She just collapsed and she has a fever." He walked with Kagome back to the circle of light around their campfire, allowing the monk and the other young woman to see the unconscious girl. "Can you heal her Kagome?" he asked quietly.

----She nodded. "I'll do my best Inuyasha." She walked over to her pack and unrolled her sleeping bag onto the ground, then proceeded to dig through her pack again. "Put her on my sleeping bag Inuyasha," she said, voice muffled through the cotton lining of the bag. "Sango, if you and Miroku could fetch some water that would help a lot." The two elder humans nodded and ran quickly out of the camp, careful not disturb the small child and the twin-tailed cat sleeping next to each other by the fire. Kagome emerged from the bag holding a small white suitcase with a red cross on the front. After Inuyasha laid the girl on the sleeping bag, she opened the case and reached over to untie the sash around the girl's waist. She opened the kimono and gasped at all the wounds inflicted on her well built and slender body. "Why does she have so many wounds when her kimono is untouched?" she asked aloud.

----"Maybe she took it off," Inuyasha offered. Kagome gave him a look and gently tugged on the sword sheath; it didn't budge and inch. She frowned and tried sliding the sheath from the girl's hand and succeeded, the sheath being slippery with blood. "That's not only human blood," Inuyasha said. "That's got demon blood in it too. Whoever she was fighting took more of a beating than her." Kagome only nodded to show that she heard as she pried the young woman's hand off her shoulder. "Help me take her kimono off, Inuyasha," she said. "It'll only get in the way." The boy nodded and slid his hands over the kimono, hands on her back and knees, lifting her just enough so that Kagome could slide the kimono off and put it in a bloody heap near the giant yellow backpack. Inuyasha put her back down as the monk and the other young lady came back with two pots of water. The young lady put the first pot next to Kagome and the monk put the second on the hot embers of the fire. "Thanks you two," Kagome muttered absently as she soaked a hand towel in the cool water next to her and proceeded to clean up the young lady in front of her.

--------------

----When Kagome woke up the next morning, Inuyasha was still watching over the young girl through half closed eyes. The girl was still unconscious, but now clean and bandaged with a blanket over her sleeping form and a wet towel on her forehead. Her shaking had ceased overnight and now she just lay resting, breath coming at regular intervals in the heavy way that sleep has it. Kagome had left the prayer beads in her hand to the monk's suggestion, but everything else besides her undergarments, however immodest and Amazonian, had been removed and placed in a small pile by Kagome's backpack. When Kagome sat up, from her sleeping place on the soft grass, Inuyasha's eyes opened all the way and looked at her simultaneously, question and concern within their golden depths. Kagome stood, straightened her sailor fuku, and walked over to the girl to check on her, smiling reassuringly at Inuyasha after taking her temperature.

----"She's fine," she said quietly to him, noticing that it was only sunrise and that her four other companions were not yet awake. "Her fever's gone and her wounds don't seem infected. I think she'll even wake up today."

----"What are we going to do with her if she doesn't?" he asked, blunt and tough like always. "We can't exactly carry her because it'll slow us down and her wounds'll reopen, but we can't leave her here to fend for herself if she's unconscious."

----"We'll wait for her to wake up." Inuyasha face-faulted and glared at the miko next to him. "Are you insane?" he half yelled at her. "We've got to find those remaining Jewel Shards soon!"

----"Calm down Inuyasha," was the response from the monk, who had just woken up due to Inuyasha's volume. Inuyasha transferred his glare to him and snarled, "What do you know Miroku? We have to get going or else we're sitting ducks!" The monk sighed as the other young woman sat up, rubbing her head in a sleepy manner. The little boy and the cat also woke up, the young one removing his head from his fluffy fox's tail and rubbing his eyes. "Hey, what's all the noise?" he asked sleepily. He glanced toward Kagome, saw the girl, and then popped up, instantly awake. "Who's that? Is she okay? When did she come by? What happened?" All of the fox-boy's questions came out in a rush as Kagome picked him up and put him in her lap. "Calm down Shippo," she said softly. "She needs rest." The little cat walked up to the girl and sniffed her before licking the side of her face and laying down next to her head, head on the girl's right shoulder.

----"What's with Kirara, Sango?" The dark haired young woman shook her head and looked at her cat again. "I don't know," she replied. "She usually doesn't act like this around strangers."

----"How about we start on breakfast?" Kagome asked, abruptly changing the subject. The others nodded and began their usual morning routine. After breakfast was made, the group sat down and began eating; now talking about their plans for the road. "We still can't do anything until the young miss awakens," Miroku pointed out. "And even then we have to take her with us until we arrive safely at the next town."

----"Well how long exactly do we have to wait until she wakes up?" Inuyasha snapped. "We can't wait forever ya know."

----"No need to wait any longer, I'm awake now."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AbhorsenSabriel87: There we go! --evil laughter-- An evil cliff-hanger!  
Anna: --sighs-- Where do you get the time to write this Sabriel?  
Sabriel: At around three in the morning on a Saturday night.  
Anna: Technically isn't it Sunday morning?  
Sabriel: Whatever. Anywho, this is the end of chapter one and now for another of my changes...  
Anna:......  
Sabriel:......  
Anna:......Well, what is it?  
Sabriel: The polls!  
Anna: Polls? You mean, like a survey?  
Sabriel: Yup. At the end of every chapter there will be three questions for you readers to answer (if you wish, of course) in your reviews. At least one will pertain to the story, and any leftover will be completely random.  
Anna: So what are the questions?  
Sabriel: I thought you would never ask!  
Anna: -.-U  
Sabriel: Okay, the questions are as follows: 1) Who is this new OC? 2)Why does Kirara act that way around her, and 3).....  
Anna: What's number three?  
Sabriel: Who said "All's well that ends well"?  
Anna: -.-U  
Sabriel: Anyone who answers all three questions correctly will receive a special prize!  
Anna: This is getting a little long....  
Sabriel: Bye readers! Please review!


	2. A Storyteller's Tale of Woe

AbhorsenSabriel87: Hey readers! This is chapter two, and now I shall give you the poll answers!  
Chibi Jou: That's my job!  
Sabriel: --shoves him out of room-- Stay out of my room brat!  
Chibi Jou: But- --door closes in his face--  
Sabriel: --sighs-- ANYWAY.... the polls.  
Anna: The answer to question 1?  
Sabriel: You'll find out in this chapter!  
Anna: Question 2?  
Sabriel: You'll find out in the third chapter!  
Anna: --eye twitch-- And Edgar Allen Poe was the one reported saying "All's well that ends well".  
Sabriel: Yup! Reviewer responses!

femalesesshoumaru - --jumps up and down, clapping her hands-- Yay! You figured it out! You are so cool! This _is_ my other fic reposted! Excellent eyes ma'am! And as for the polls, I didn't really expect anyone but a hard-core literature nut to know that.  
Anna: I knew the answer…  
Sabriel: …My point exactly.

kitsune-kun – Duh guy, you have. This is Nikki's Story reposted, reformatted, and rated up… And thanks for the compliment! --chibi smile--

Sabriel: That's it for my reviewers, so now onto the disclaimer! --a girl with golden eyes and silver hair walks in-- Kieira!  
Kieira: --walks over-- Yes, milady authoress?  
Sabriel: -.-U Could you do the disclaimer please?  
Kieira: Certainly. My lady AbhorsenSabriel87 has no copyrights to the Inuyasha show or cast, so please do not sue her, for it'd only be a waste of your money.  
Anna: Well done partner!  
Kieira: Thank you, Miss Anna.  
Anna: --groans-- I'm your partner, not your employer!  
Sabriel: --sighs-- Kieira is Anna's partner in law enforcement and you'll see her if I ever get around to writing the sequel to Twice Lost, Thrice Found. Now onto the story at hand!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Choose your friends carefully. Your enemies will choose you!"  
Yasar Arafat

---The group of five simply stared at the young lady who, the night before, had entered their camp severely wounded and carried by Inuyasha. Now, she was sitting upright, her curls shining brightly and her dark ocean-blue eyes fixed on the group. Kirara sat in the girl's lap, purring at being absently petted. A small smile was on the girl's face as she surveyed the shocked looks on her new companions. "There's no need to look at me like that," she said, her voice rolling and musical with a foreign accent. "I heal fast, but I have you to thank f-"  
---"Who the hell are you anyway?" Inuyasha yelled at her. "Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed at him. "No," he replied. "I want to know exactly what's going on around here! Who are you and why-"  
---"Sit boy!" Kagome's voice rang out as the prayer beads around Inuyasha's neck glowed pink and pulled his face harshly into the forest floor. The young lady blinked in surprise and looked at Inuyasha carefully. Recognition flashed through her eyes and she smiled at the boy, who was now just getting to his usual sitting position. "Say," she said quietly, voice almost purring, "aren't you the young man I saw on the roadside last night?" Her nose twitched slightly and she cocked her head a little, but almost instantly reached up and placed a hand on her neck. "Ouch," she muttered. "Didn't realize I was that badly hurt."  
---"You were pretty badly injured when Inuyasha brought you to our camp," Miroku said. "Are you feeling quite all right now, miss?"  
---"Oh, I feel fine now," she replied, smiling. "Whoever patched me up did a beautiful job." She smiled at Kagome, who blushed a little. "I assume that was you, young miko?"  
---"Well, yeah, but my name isn't 'miko', it's Kagome," she replied.  
---"Just as my name isn't 'miss' young monk." The girl's next response was directed at Miroku with a slight smile.  
---"Well then what is your name?" Shippo asked from Kagome's lap. The young lady smiled at him and rubbed his head. "You're a cute one, little fox," she replied. "Why don't you introduce yourself and your companions before I give you my name." The little kitsune nodded and pointed to each of his friends in turn. "I'm Shippo, and this is Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha."  
---"Inuyasha?" the girl questioned. "The half-demon Inuyasha with the legendary Tetsusaiga?"  
---"Yeah," Inuyasha replied. "What's it to ya?" The girl smiled brightly at the group and muttered something in another language to the sky before returning her sparkling green-blue gaze to the group. "This is better than I could've hoped!" she said merrily. "The Goddesses must be on my side today!"  
---"Why is that?" Inuyasha snarled, placing a hand on his sword. Kagome shot him a look as one of confusion crossed the newcomer's face. "I heard from a wolf demon a few days back that if I needed some help that I should search out the miko time-traveler named Kagome and the hanyou Inuyasha."  
---"His name didn't happen to be Kouga, would it?" Miroku asked, seeing Inuyasha's response to the information. The young lady shook her head. "No, it was a young female demon named Ayame. The one named Kouga told me it was better that I stay with them because..." She cut herself off and bit her bottom lip as if to keep from laughing. "What?" Inuyasha snapped. "What that flea infested wolf say?" The girl pulled a complete innocent look as she looked at the sky. "Nothing," she replied, half-smiling. "Nothing at all."  
---"Well, putting that matter away," Kagome said, glaring at Inuyasha, "what's your name?"  
---"And how'd you get so badly injured?" Shippo chipped in. The girl blinked and smiled at them all. "I guess I owe you that much and more," she said quietly. She took a deep breath and continued in a story-teller's tone. "My name is Nikki McCloude. I came across a particularly foul demon in my journey and the end result was its death and my presence here before you."  
---"Where exactly are you going?" Sango asked. The girl's bright face suddenly seemed darker and her eyes narrowed in anger, as if remembering an unpleasant scene. "I'll go wherever I have to," she muttered, voice now deathly cold. "I seek revenge for my village."  
---"What happened to it?" Kagome asked, leaning forward slightly. The young woman's eyes were cast downward in a glare and two tears fell into Kirara's fur. The little cat demon mewed slightly and looked up at the young woman, who was now shaking. "That's the other reason the wolf demons told me to find you," she said. She raised her eyes, sparkling with tears while blue lightning flashed in their depths, to the group once again. "You and I have the same enemy. My village was massacred by the demon known as Naraku."  
---A hushed silence fell over the group for a moment, as if the words their new companion had just spoken cut off their voices. Even the forest they camped in was eerily quiet as they thought about her information. Sango was the first to break the silence. "We'll most certainly let you come with us."  
---"But-" Inuyasha started, but he was cut off by a glare from Sango that'd he'd seen only when they were fighting and she continued. "We'll need all the help we can get in fighting Naraku. All of us here besides Shippo have our own scores to settle with Naraku." The young red-head named Nikki nodded, curls shining like gold and copper in the sunlight. "I accept the invitation," she replied, "but I fear I must decline." As the group started to protest, she held up her long slender hands for silence. Inuyasha noticed that although they were pale and graceful, they were also covered in pale scars like a swordsman would have. "Listen to my reasoning before you protest," she continued, quieting the small group down. "I fear that I may only stay with you until sunset, or until we reach the next town, whichever comes first."  
---"And why's that?" Inuyasha snapped. "Are you different in the day than you are at night? Or perhaps you're a spirit who has to recharge her earthly body at night with dead souls!"  
---"How dare you speak that way to me!" Nikki yelled, standing swiftly, apparently not realizing that she was not wearing her kimono. "You have no idea the circumstances, you pathetic dog!"  
---"What'd you say?!" Inuyasha shouted, also standing while everyone scrambled to their feet to prevent the inevitable fight that was bound to ensue. Inuyasha's left hand gripped the sheathed Tetsusaiga tightly as his right hand twitched, as if he wished to grab the young human by the throat and tear it out. "You heard me!" the other shouted back. "I should have listened to Lord Kouga and chased Naraku with him! Finding you was not only a mistake, but a disgrace!" Then, eyes flashing with blue fire, she bent down, swept up her bloody kimono and sword, and then ran into the woods faster than expected from one so injured. In fact, she ran as if she wasn't injured in the slightest, and had gone from the humans' sight in an instant, Inuyasha closely following.  
---"Get back here you witch!" he yelled after the fleeing mortal. "You'll pay for that comment!" He chased her out to the main road, where she fled in plain view down the center of the wide road. She glanced back at him, glaring at him as if she despised him with every fiber of her being. She stopped suddenly and stood tall at five feet, eight inches, holding her sheathed sword in her left hand and her kimono in her right. When Inuyasha stopped naught but fifteen feet away, she called to him, "So you wish to do battle, young hanyou?"  
---"Young?" he called back to her, a smirk crossing his face as he cracked his knuckles and took up a fighting stance. "I'm probably older than you, unless you are what I thought," he ended tauntingly. Nikki's eyes narrowed as she flung her kimono to the side and unsheathed her sword expertly with her right hand.  
---The blade was finely crafted steel with some sort of crystal embedded in the base. Both edges of the blade were sharp, and by the look of it, there was no curve what-so-ever to the five foot long blade. "You shall regret your words, little boy," she growled coldly.  
---"Try it," he spat back. "Stronger and more able people than you have tried and failed ningen, and personally, I think I can take you out without my Tetsusaiga."  
---"We shall see." Almost in an instant, the young lady had darted out of sight and right behind Inuyasha, sword raised to slice him in half. Only his keen nose was able to tell him in time where she was, and he darted out of the way before she swung and punched her in the lower back, where he knew one of her more grievous wounds was. The wound spurted blood on impact and sent her sprawling onto the ground. But instead of falling onto her face, Nikki landed on her hands and sprung back upright almost instantly, as if the punch had been nothing more than a push. "Excellent," she stated, not even out of breath as she smiled at him. "You did better than I expected."  
---"Well, you are bleeding really badly," he stated, also smirking. "I simply trusted my nose."  
---"That will help you in many things, but since force will not move you to leave me be..." Nikki changed the positioning of her sword so that she held it as if it were a dagger. Her eyes flashed as she touched the point to the ground lightly and said, "Then perhaps some magick." Focusing her eyes on Inuyasha, she pushed the sword point into the ground slightly, wounds reopening from the stress of the task and bleeding heavily into the bandages. "Hey stop that!" Inuyasha shouted at her, concern now evident. "You'll kill yourself if you put that much strain on your body!" Apparently not listening, all Nikki did was begin to speak in that same rapid and flowing language as before. Her sword glowed a pale golden, but then changed rapidly to red as her eyes fluttered shut and she fell to one knee. But still she spoke, her wounds now flowing freely and her words becoming more and more quiet and forced. "Stop it!" Inuyasha shouted, running towards her. She stopped speaking for a moment to gaze at the oncoming red haze and smiled.  
---"Ayame was right," she whispered. Her body slumped forward and leaned against the flat as Inuyasha got to her, the others just then coming into view. "Inuyasha!" Kagome called out, running up to the two, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara in tow. "What happened?" Inuyasha pulled the unconscious girl off her sword as the others ran up and laid her gently down on the earthen road. "She tried using some sort of magic on me, but it backfired," he explained. "I tried to tell the stupid idiot not to put that much stress on her wounded body, but she wouldn't listen!" He stopped as he realized Kagome was rewrapping the bandages, much tighter and thicker this time. "What are you doing?!"  
---"What's it look like I'm doing?" she snapped back. "We have to take her with us to the next town over so that she can be healed by a real doctor. Otherwise, she may die here. So, are you gonna carry her, or should I have Miroku-" Not even allowing her to finish her sentence, Inuyasha swept up the unconscious girl in his arms and walked over to the edge of the road. Kagome smiled as he walked over and picked up Nikki's kimono, just throwing it over his shoulder casually before continuing to walk up the road. She motioned for the others to follow, not even noticing the fresh handprint on Miroku's face and the dark scowl on Sango's.

----------------------------------------

Sabriel: That's it this chappie! Now, is there anything I'm forgetting?  
Anna: Other than the fact that you still haven't said anything about Sesshoumaru yet?  
Kieira: And forgive me for pointing this out, milady, but are you not also forgetting the polls?  
Sabriel: o.O ...I get it guys. Alright, I'll hit two birds with one stone on this one!  
Anna: -.-U  
Kieira: And how is that, Lady Abhorsen?  
Sabriel: --eye twitch-- I do the polls!  
Anna: --anime falls--  
Kieira: -.-U  
Sabriel: Now, Question #1) When does Sesshoumaru enter the picture?  
Anna: And how, pray tell, do you think they'll know that?! Especially since you didn't even get that far in your _last_ version of this fic?  
Sabriel: I dunno.  
Kieira: -.-U What is question 2, Lady Sabriel?  
Sabriel: --eye twitch-- You're too proper Kieira. Anywho, Question #2) Why does Nikki need to leave the group before sunset?  
Anna: I'm not even gonna say it. See ya kids. I'm goin' back ta work. --walks out door, picking Chibi Jou up and ties him to a chair before walking out of sight--  
Sabriel: Not another of her mood swings... Ah well, Question #3) Who said "Against my will I stand beside my own reflection"?  
Chibi Jou: That's easy! It's the- --door slams shut by magic--  
Sabriel: You just got served little bro. Now, I bid thee ado, my faithful readers.  
Kieira: Sayonara until we meet again!  
Sabriel: --big smile-- Bye!


	3. Secrets Revealed

AbhorsenSabriel87: Hello people! I'm back, but apparently this fic isn't very popular.  
Kieira: Of course it is milady!  
Sabriel: Outside of you OC's?  
Kieira: Well, um...  
Sabriel: Exactly. But now we get to figure out who exactly Nikki is in this one! --does sad happy dance as a short version of Lirael walks in (Note: If you have not read Lirael, e-mail me and I'll give you a description.)--  
Kieira: Lady Kiora! --smiles--  
New OC: --smiles-- Evening Kieira! How go the studies?  
Kieira: Very well, Abhorsen-in-Waiting.  
Sabriel: Hey Kiora!  
Kiora: --looks at me with a blank look--  
Sabriel: Oh, right, you don't know me as Sabriel. You know me as... --ninja poof of smoke and AS87 is now a girl with white hair and green eyes-- Everyone, meet me as Inara!  
Kiora: Much better. I hate it when you look like my dead aunt.  
Sabriel(aka Inara): Aw, shut up Kiora.  
Kiora: If I must shut up, how shall I do the disclaimer you so desperately need so that you are not sued?  
Inara:...Good point. Disclaimer!  
Kiora: AbhorsenSabriel87 (aka Inara) does not own Lirael, Sabriel, or Inuyasha so please do not sue her or else your lawyers would be very much out of a job.  
Inara: Nice. Now, reviewer responses and the polls, and then we move on to the fic!  
Kiora and Kieira: --half-hearted-- Woot.  
Inara: --sweat drop, goes back to original form as Sabriel with white hair and green eyes (e-mail me if you don't get it!)-- Question #1) The answer is sometime during chapter 5 or 6, I'm undecided on that for now.  
Kiora: --glares at me-- Question #2) The answer is in this chapter.  
Kieira: And Question #3) The line "Against my will I stand beside my own reflection" is in the song titled "Crawling" by Linkin Park.  
Inara( now Sabriel ): --smiles and punches fist in the air-- Reviewers!  
Kieira: ........  
Kiora: Um, there are none...  
Sabriel (oh, confusing...): What?! Now I know no one likes this fic! --sobs--  
Kieira: --comforts her, sees that Sabriel has a new review-- You havetwo reviews!  
Sabriel: --jumps up and reads them-- Woohoo! Responses coming right up!

LunarIce3 - Sweet! You just made Sesshi-boy go splat!  
Kieira: Isn't that bad, milady?  
Sabriel: ... A little. --hits LunarIce3 lightly with her signature rubber mallet-- There. I'm good. Anywho, thanks for reviewing both chappies! Woot! I have a new reviewer!

kitsune-kun - Thanks for reviewing! And by the way... HELL NO! She is so NOT related to Fox McCloud! Two different spellings and species! --shivers-- That was creepy...

Sabriel: That was so cool! A new reviewer! WOOOOOOOT!  
Kiora: On to the fic while we calm her down! --trying miserably to restrain Sabriel--

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Out of the frying pan, into der fire."  
Swedish Chef

---"How is she?" The question was directed at an old medicine woman from Kagome as she walked out of the hut. The medicine woman looked much like Kaede, except that both of her eyes were amber like Inuyasha's and clearly usable, her white hair was in a beautiful braid down her back, and she was thinner and slightly taller than Kaede. The old woman looked at the miko, for she had seen the strange wanderer only once before but knew her well. "Her wounds have been treated," she replied, her voice young for such an old woman, "but I fear to remove the prayer beads from her right arm. Otherwise, all she needs is rest for a while." She paused for a moment, looking out on the fiery horizon painted by the sunset with a concerned look upon her face. Kagome quickly noticed this almost instantly.

---"What is it?" she asked. "Is there something else?" The medicine woman looked at the miko with uncertainty, then sighed and motioned her into the hut, walking ahead and holding open the grass door. Once Kagome had entered the house, she saw a fire blazing in the center, Nikki on the opposite side, once again almost stripped bare and covered in a thick blanket. Her wounds were rebound with fresh bandages and herbs, and she lay asleep, sleeping the calm way of the dead or exhausted. The elder woman walked over and knelt beside the sleeping woman, Kagome kneeling next to her. "A question, Lady Kagome," the medicine woman asked.

---"What Miss Kaerou?" Kagome replied, looking at the "doctor" in a very puzzled manner.

---"Did you notice anything strange about the young woman?" the medicine woman continued. "Any markings, like tattoos or birthmarks?" Kagome blinked and looked at the ceiling, trying to remember. "Only two," she said slowly. "There was the kanji for darkness on her right wrist, and a really intricate cross on her spine between the shoulder blades. Why?"

---"Are you sure there was nothing else?"

---"If there was, I would've seen it," Kagome stated, now getting slightly impatient. "What do you have to say Kaerou?" The old woman named Kaerou bowed her head and flipped the blanket off of Nikki. Another kanji lay just above her navel; the kanji for earth. "This young lady is not all that she seems, Lady Kagome," she continued, picking up Nikki's left wrist gently and turned it so the Kagome could see the underside. Kagome cocked her head in confusion as she saw the mark; the kanji for light. "What does that have to do with anything?" she asked, confusion eminent in her voice.

---"That is not the only other mark I have found," Kaerou continued, placing Nikki's wrist back on the tatami mat. She motioned Kagome around to Nikki's feet and pointed at the insides of the ankles where two more kanji lay present; water and wind. "How could these have just appeared out of nowhere?" Kagome asked. "Is it because of that spell she tried to use on Inuyasha?" The old woman shook her head. "I do not know of that spell, but I can tell you this; these marks didn't just appear, they were always here."

---"But how is that possible? I didn't see them anywhere."

---"Those are not the last either." The old woman gently turned the unconscious girl onto her side, not even making the girl stir an inch. "Look here, Kagome." Kagome looked at the young girl's back, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary other than a few faded scars. She glanced down to her lower back and saw a very interesting mark; three silver dragons in a perfect circle, tails meeting in the center, wings barely touching on the outside. It was about the size of Kagome's palm, but she hadn't seen it on her when she first bandaged her, or the second time. Kagome glanced towards her neck and saw the cross, still between the shoulders, but also caught yet another kanji on the nape of her neck; fire. "What do they mean, Kaerou?" she asked. The elder woman lowered Nikki's right shoulder back to the mat and covered her up again. Surprisingly, through the whole process, she had remained asleep. Kaerou looked at Kagome blankly, then returned her golden stare to Nikki's sleeping form.

---"I do not know, Kagome," she replied, "but I think it'd be wise if you and your other companions watched over her tonight with me." Kagome nodded and muttered "sure" as she got up and went outside to tell the others.

---------------------

---Just before nightfall, the companions had regrouped in the large hut and had made themselves temporarily at home. Inuyasha sat but the window, looking out onto the rapidly disappearing sun, which now only remained a sliver on the horizon. Kagome and Sango sat talking next to the fire while Miroku once again told riddles and fables to Shippo and Kaerou cooked stew and noodles for dinner. It was a very relaxed setting, but something ominous hung over them, as if the unconscious and still unknown Nikki was a symbol of foreboding. Just as the sun was about to sink below the horizon, moments before nightfall, all conversation ceased as she stirred and opened her eyes. Kaerou moved into her line of vision and looked straight into her deep eyes. "Where am I?" Nikki asked, still sleepy from her bout earlier.

---"You are in my hut," Kaerou told her kindly. "Your companions are here as well." Suddenly, a flash of realization passed through Nikki's oceanic eyes and she quickly sat up. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked. Even though her voice was calm, everyone could sense urgency, and Inuyasha could almost smell her fear. "About half the day," Kaerou replied calmly, returning to the meal she was preparing. "It is nearly nightfall." As a look of shock passed her face, the young lady snatched up her things faster than anyone could see and bolted out of the hut. Inuyasha was up immediately, as were the others, and followed her outside as she ran towards the woods. Inuyasha caught up with her before she reached them and grabbed her tight to prevent her from escaping. Which was exactly what she was trying to do.

---"Let me go!" she yelled at him, trying to twist away from his strong grip, but he held fast. "No way," he replied, squeezing tighter as the others caught up. "Not until you tell me what's going on here!"

---"I can't tell you now," she whimpered. "Please let me go! Night approaches"

---"So what?" Nikki tried once more to escape as the last rays died out and twilight was set upon the land. He let her go almost at once and she stumbled away from him, but only a few steps. She turned around and gazed at them all, but with unfamiliar eyes; ice blue like the glacier mountains of the north. A slight smile crossed her face, but it was sad and apologetic as she spoke. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't tell you my secret," she whispered as her red locks transformed into silver ones, all but her bangs, which remained copper as ever. Her nails grew longer, small animalistic ears poked through her hair like Inuyasha's ears, and her eyes reflected the starlight from above like-

---"You're a cat demon!" Inuyasha shouted, placing his hand on Tetsusaiga. The newly transformed Nikki closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes, that I am Inuyasha, but like you I am only half."

---"Then, why did you change back now?" Kagome asked, completely confused. "She has a point," Miroku added. "I was under the impression that hanyous transformed on their given night, then returned to normal at sunrise."

---"That would be true, but mine is an unusual tale." Nikki flicked her hair back behind her shoulder and began to walk gracefully into the forest. "Wait a minute!" Shippo called out. "Aren't you going to tell us?" Nikki stopped for a moment and gazed back at the group. "I can perceive that my accompanying you any further would only result in more distrust among us," she said calmly. "I am no longer welcome or able to travel among you."

---"Who says?" Kagome asked, startling the female hanyou. "Just because you didn't tell us doesn't mean you lied to us. You're still welcome to travel with us." Agreement passed through all of the others but Inuyasha, who protested, "But she tried to kill me!"

---"Almost all of us have tried to kill you at one point or another Inuyasha," Miroku replied calmly, "and you still trust us, don't you?"

---"Barely" was the muttered reply, but none of his group really cared. Instead, they all walked back to the hut with their new companion, who now had Kirara perched upon her right shoulder. Once they returned to the hut, Kaerou had finished the dinner she was making and simply looked over the newly transformed Nikki with interest before serving up the food. As they ate, Kagome suggested to Nikki that she tell them her story. Nikki quickly agreed, happy to see that instead of being despised or mistrusted (other than by Inuyasha), she was able to stay with them and continue her journey among friends.

---"Well," she started, "I don't really know where to begin, but I guess I should start at where I came from first."

---"'A good story should always start at the beginning'," Miroku quoted, making Nikki smile and nod enthusiastically. "Of course," she replied. "That was an honored saying among my people, on both sides."

---"Who are... were your people?" Sango asked carefully. Other than a slightly sad smile, it didn't seem to affect their storyteller in any way and she answered just as mysteriously, "It depends on which side you speak of, but I'll tell you of both sides.

---"My mother's side is simple enough; she was the empress of a cat demon tribe to the far north, just a few miles from both the western shores and the glacier mountains. We lived in a forest that had protected us for many generations, so well, in fact, that few knew we even existed. I doubt even your father knew of us, Inuyasha, we were so discreet."

---"Feh," the other hanyou muttered. "Who cares if my ol' man knew or not?" Nikki simply shook her head, smiling, and continued her story.

---"My father's side, on the other hand," she continued in the same storyteller voice, which was very compelling in that exotic lit of hers, "was a clan of human from a land to the far west, across the ocean. It took them years to reach Japan."

---"Were they from China?" Kagome asked, but Nikki shook her head. "No," she replied, "they were from my homeland much further away. We called it the Emerald Isle, but I believe it is known to the rest of the world as Ireland."

---"That explains your accent," Sango said. "It seems so exotic compared to anyone else that we've met." Nikki laughed quietly, rolling like the sea, but calm as a breeze. "Thank you, Lady Sango," she replied, eyes twinkling like blue topaz. "That is one of the kindest things anyone has said about my language or culture. Now, if I may continue my tale of my father's people?" When a small, and slightly sheepish agreement went about the room, the Irish storyteller nodded and continued.

---"My father was the leader of his clan as well. His religion was that of the Celts, a warrior race of Ireland and its neighbor Scotland. We practiced magick in everything we did, and swordsmanship was second nature to us. His name was Pitte McCloude, and his family was not as safe as my mother's, mainly for the fact that a rival clan was hunting them, the McDaniels.

---"The McDaniels have hated the McCloudes for two thousand years, ever since we stole a legendary sword from them. The sword that I, in fact, carry on my waist."

---"Humph, doesn't look too special," Inuyasha muttered, but instead of angering Nikki, it made her smile at the dog demon and say in a purring voice, "Yes, but you know first hand that my sword is not all that it seems, Inuyasha."

---"What, you mean it can kill you?" Nikki only rolled her eyes and continued with her story.

---"I guess you could say that my story really starts with this sword and its creation. This sword was created over twenty-five hundred years ago by a great sword smith for a legendary hero named Kane McDaniel. But the sword smith had the power of prophesy, and knew that a short while after he gave the sword to the hero that it would become corrupt by his greed and inner evil, which Kane's family had kept suppressed for generations. This sword he named Desdemona, which in our language means 'of the Devil'. It proved to be a fitting name for the sword, for true to her maker's words, twenty years later, the 'hero' turned to the path of evil and became an evil warlock. He destroyed villages for simple profit and went to work for our sworn enemies, the Catholics, to destroy our people. He kept his sword in safe keeping for almost five hundred years, but then-"

---"Wait a sec, hold up," Inuyasha interrupted, snapping everyone out of the half-demon's storyteller haze. "_He_ kept the sword safe for five hundred years? I thought you said he was human." Nikki gave him an annoyed look and rolled her eyes. "I was getting to that," she said, a trace of ice in her normally warm voice. "The sword's power are thus; it can cut through any material, except when it is evenly matched; it can call upon elemental forces to give its most powerful technique; and the blade itself can be lit on fire." She paused and smiled at the group mysteriously, drawing everyone in closer so they could hear the rest. "But the power for immortality was our own, only enhanced by the sword's powress. A sorcerer had blessed his family when the sword was created, and so that power was infused with the sword. The sword smith who created this sword, however, placed another spell on the sword saying that if someone were to steal the sword and cleanse it of its evil, that the sword would belong to his family and all of its powers would belong to them."

---"Let me guess," Miroku said, placing a hand on his chin in thought. "Your ancestor stole the sword and purified it?" Nikki nodded enthusiastically, smiling brightly. "Yes that's right!" she exclaimed. "Excellent work, Lord Miroku!" Everyone but Miroku, who beamed at the compliment, rolled their eyes and waited for the story to continue. "As I was saying," Nikki continued, "my grandfather stole the sword and purified it. His name was Mavrik McCloude, and he was but a simple rouge when he heard of the sword and its powers. But, only three days after he stole the sword, Kane came to him to ask for the sword back... Well, 'ask' is too nice a word, for 'demand' would be much more fitting. My grandfather, of course, refused, and Kane cut him through the heart and left him for dead. Fortunately, the sword had already given him the power of immortality, so he recovered by the next day, but during that time, Kane had decapitated his mother and sisters."

---"Wouldn't they be okay though?" Shippo asked, startling everyone with the knowledge that he was still awake. "I thought it gave them immortality, and that means they can't be killed, right?" Nikki shook her head solemnly. "The only flaw in the blessing," she replied. "Decapitation is the only way to kill an immortal of our society, otherwise they will heal from any wound or sickness, even poison or mortal injuries, and he knew this. He just didn't realize that his family didn't have the sword, but that it had been put in safekeeping. For almost five hundred years, my grandfather guarded it well, but fifteen hundred years ago, he met my grandmother and bore a child; a son, my father, Pitte McCloud. He also had two sisters and another brother over the years, but only he and his brother had been given immortality, because another flaw is that is only passed through the men."

---"Why?" Sango and Kagome asked at the same time. Nikki smiled and shrugged. "That is not clear," she said. "It could be perhaps that the woman could make their own spells to live longer, or that we are said to be protected by the Goddesses more, but no one really knows for sure. All I really know is that for the females of our clan to be given the immortality by the sword, very strict conditions must apply."

---"Do you apply to these conditions, Lady Nikki?" Miroku asked. Nikki shook her head, her silver and copper hair shining in the firelight. "Not I," she continued. "My reason is my demon heritage, which I am getting to.

---"My father was given the sword when he reached the age of five hundred, as he was the oldest, and the heir to almost anything his father possessed. Four hundred and fifty years later, he was walking alone on our northern shores when he found my mother, half-drowned and nearly dead on the beach. He knew that she was a fabled demon of the far lands, or here I guess, but he had been brought up to respect women and help where help is needed."

---"So he brought her back and healed her up?" Shippo chirped, a smile on his face as he waited anxiously for the rest of the story. Nikki nodded, smiling as if remembering a pleasant memory. "Yes, that he did," she added. "It took him the better of a year to do so, but eventually, she had recovered completely. Over that year, you could easily guess, my father fell in love with her. It was no wonder why; she was undoubtedly the most beautiful person he'd ever seen, and she was so kind to him when she talked to him over the final two months of her recovery." Nikki reached over to her kimono and dug through it, then pulled a scroll out of a hidden lining. Unlike the rest of her kimono, the scroll had no trace of blood upon it, and she handed it carefully over to Sango, who was in the center of the group. "This is a painting of her that I managed to salvage from my village. The man with her is my father." Sango unrolled the scroll and everyone crowded around to get a good look.

---A man and woman sat side by side in garden in the picture. The woman had the unmistakably pointed ears of a demon, and a slender black cat's tail sat in her lap. Her face made her seem a goddess, for it was smooth and cream colored. with high cheekbones, almond shaped eyes, and a sloping jaw. Her eyes were oceanic blue, like Nikki's in her human form, and were only accented by the beautiful dark blue kimono she wore, with emerald green dragons twining through the fabric. She bore a four-pointed star on her forehead, which was shadowed by softly curled raven's hair that flowed over her shoulders in a gentle cascade. The man beside her was taller and more muscular, but he was as slender as she, and his face, although strong, had no trace of hardness. His hair was a vibrant red, as if his head grew fire instead of hair, and his eyes were each a different color, the left being ice blue, the right emerald green. His skin was also cream colored, but slightly darker and more weather-beaten that his companion's. He wore black garments in the winter setting, and silver circle of dragons, identical to the tattoo on Nikki's back, hung around both their necks in a pendent. Nikki's sword was strapped across his back, and a bow and quiver of arrows draped across the young demon's. Snow gently fell around the two, but they remained untouched by the soft white ice. Sango handed the parchment back as Kagome said, "They seem so right for each other."

---Nikki nodded and placed the parchment back in its safe spot, smiling sadly. "Yes, they were," agreed. "But only after a couple years together, the McDaniels found out where my father's family was hiding and nearly killed all of us. My father ended up killing him for good, but they later found out that he had three sons, all of whom were carrying his blessing of immortality, for once it touches a family, the spell can't be lifted unless you find out the proper counter charm, which none of our enemies ever have."

---"Do you know the counter charm?" Kaerou asked, as interested as everyone else in the story. Nikki shook her head. "It is in our most powerful book of spells, and that was stolen around the time I left to find Naraku. May I now continue my tale?" Once everyone had nodded or agreed in one way or another, she nodded and continued.

---"My father didn't want to put his family in any more danger, and my mother saw how distressed he was over it and offered to shelter them here in Japan among her clan. Seeing as how it was his only option, agreed, and for almost ten years she led his family to hers here. When they got here, my mother was told that her father had recently passed away and that she was to be their leader because she was the only heir to the throne. During the first months of her rule, she and my father announced their marriage. That was about six hundred and forty years ago. Forty years later, I was born." She sighed and rubbed her neck as if it were stiff.

---"That was a really cool story!" Shippo said excitedly. Nikki smiled and rubbed his head. "Just wait," she said. "It's not quite done yet."

---"What?!" Inuyasha groaned. "You've been talking nonstop for almost an hour, and you're _still_ not done?!" Nikki gave him yet another annoyed look and sighed. "A good story takes time to tell, Inuyasha," she said. "And Mother said _I_ was impatient." Shaking her head, Nikki once more continued her story.

---"One hundred and fifty years ago, by brother and sister were born, but unlike me, they were not hanyous. No, my sister is a full-blooded human, and her twin bother is a full-blooded cat demon. For some reason, their genetics were incompatible, but they look exactly alike, other than my brother has a tail and pointed ears. They both have my father's copper hair, as I do in my human form, and the emerald green eyes of my grandfather. They're inseparable, and probably the most capable sorcerers of our combined clans. We lived together happily until about fifty years ago."

---"Is that when Naraku attacked your village?" Inuyasha asked, this time genuinely interested. Nikki shook her head. "No," she answered, "but it was my first run-in with the ass." She motioned to her right arm and the prayer beads twined around the upper arm. "My reason for having these is his doing. He caught me on one of my transforming days, for unlike you Inuyasha, I naturally transform into a full demon on certain moons as well as a human. I was in my full demonic form, and he caught me off guard as I walked back from a meeting with the fabled priestess Kikyo, for I had come to her for advice on a problem of mine. I was heading back north when he challenged me to a battle. I accepted, but little did I know that he was much stronger than I, and I had not yet been given my father's sword. In the end, I lost, and he saw me transform back into my hanyou form at sunset. He also saw this mark of darkness on my wrist and cursed me so that the darkness and desire for blood in my demon heritage would be place within my arm and would take over my consciousness and make me become a savage monster." Nikki lowered her eyes to the fire and shook her head.

---"All I remember," she continued, "was immense pain in both my head and arm, and a deep red haze. Then I blacked out. When I came to, I was in my village with these prayer beads around my arm and an arrow wound in my right shoulder. My father told me that my mother had found me coming back to the village not myself and that she had to wound me and knock me unconscious for fear that I would slay her and my village. They managed to find a containment charm to keep it in place, but the curse was too far gone for a counter charm to work without killing me. So, over the next fifty years, I trained with Desdemona and made sure never to take off my beads unless it was a time of crisis"

---"So, Naraku attacked your village just recently then?" Sango asked. Nikki nodded. "I was on my way back from trading with a nearby human village, our herbs, vegetables, and minor weapons for their silk, books, and furs. I had also managed to get some gold as well, but that altogether is another story," she added hastily, a slight blush rising to her face. "Anyway, the silk was for new clothes, as we were about to celebrate one of our 'holidays' as you may call them, but they are sacred rituals among my father's people, and over the six hundred years they stayed with my mother's clan, the whole village adopted the customs.

---"When I returned to my village, all I saw was bloodshed. Not a single person in the village was alive except my closest friend, who died right after telling me that a demon by the name of Naraku had come, bringing thousands of demons with him and attacked, killing everyone but my littler siblings, whom he took captive. Why, I do no know. All I know is that I must find and kill that bastard before he can harm any others the way he harmed me." Tears once again dropped from her eyes silently, but she casually wiped them away and smiled at her companions. "I trust you shall accept my help?" Agreement quickly passed around the room until Kaerou hushed them all.

---"It is late," the old woman said sternly. "I want all of you to get some sleep now, for I will not have you leave unrested. No matter how fast you may heal," she added, smiling softly at Nikki, who nodded.

---"Oh," Nikki said suddenly, blushing slightly. "I almost forgot something. 'Nikki' is only a shortening of my real name. My birth name is Nekoakurei McCloude, as can be explained by my ears."

---"Okay," Kaerou said sternly, "no more talking. Time to give an old woman her rest!" Laughter traveled around the room and soon all was quiet in the small village where our heroes lay sleeping.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sabriel: Okay, I'm finally done with this chapter.  
Kiora: --is gone--  
Kieira: Milady, Lady Kiora has returned to her own fan fiction.  
Sabriel: --sighs-- Ah well. I guess I can find someone- --older woman walks in, has shoulder length black hair and hazel eyes, slightly shorter than me-- Mom?!  
Sabriel's Mom(aka FeralCat): Hello! I'm back from North Carolina!  
Sabriel: --sweat drop-- So I see. Everyone, meet my mom, aka FeralCat. She's...well, my mom.  
FeralCat: --smiles-- Yes I am, and I'm here to make sure you did your homework.  
Sabriel: --eye twitch-- Yes Mom, I did.  
FeralCat: Good. Now, onto these delightful polls.  
Kieira: Of course, Lady FeralCat! --smiles--  
Sabriel: --sweat drop-- Whatever. Question#1) What little goodie is in store for you next chapter? Question #2) How do you think Nikki got that "extra gold"? --laughs insanely-- And Question #3) Why is my hair white when my mom's hair is black?  
FeralCat: Good question. --suspicious look--  
Sabriel: --sweat drop-- Uh, I gotta go. R&R people! Don't forget the polls! No new chappie without answers! --runs off--


	4. Enter The Western Lord!

AbhorsenSabriel87: Yo peoples! Here's more of the fic! Now, my "faithful muses" sorta left, so I'm stuck doing this all by my lonesome self.  
Chibi Jou: Have no fear! Chibi Jou is here!  
Sabriel: --sighs-- Fine. C.J., do the polls.  
Chibi Jou: YAY! Answer one, you'll find out right now, now won't ya?  
Sabriel: --sweatdrop--  
Chibi Jou: Answer two-  
Sabriel: That's for me to know, and you to wonder about.  
Chibi Jou: --sweatdrop-- And answer three, Mom's hair is actually brown, but she dyes it, I have blonde hair, and my sister has a genetic glitch (or two) that make her a freak of nature!  
Sabriel: --boots him out of room-- Onto the fic.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------

_Emotion is the chief source of all becoming-conscious. There can be no transforming of darkness into light and of apathy into movement without emotion._

_Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961)_

_Two weeks ago…_

---A young man walked through a quiet wood, followed closely by a two-headed green dragon, a toad-like imp, and a young girl fast asleep on the back of the dragon. The girl's age was nearly impossible to determine, as her thick, knotted, raven's hair was covering her face as she slept, but by her size, you could easily tell she was a child. The dragon on which she rode seemed a proud beast, its two heads each held high and dignified as each of its four-clawed feet stepped quietly and deliberately on the soft grass beneath it. The toad was standing upright, as a man would, his body in an earth-colored haori and his three-fingered hands clutching a wooden staff, which, in itself, was a remarkable piece of craftsmanship, bearing not only the head of an old man, but one of a beautiful woman with ebony hair that twined around the base. But none of these remarkable travelers measured close to the man who led them onward.

---The man, although seemly barely five-and-twenty, held the air of a noble with even just the way he walked, with his head high and slender shoulders straight, his clawed and red-tattooed right hand holding the reigns to the twin-headed dragon. He stood taller than any in the group, being over six feet high, and would be stunningly handsome… if the world didn't know what traits were common among demons. Yes, this man was a demon, his silver-white hair reaching well past his waist, his steps silent, his elfin ears alert, and his golden eyes wary as they walked. His face was also that of the elves of lore: a sharp jaw with soft features betrayed only by his cold eyes. Two red markings shaped like claw slashes touched either cheekbone, and, although shadowed by his bangs, a pale blue waning crescent moon tattoo imprinted his high forehead. His white and red kimono top and gi pants were also covered at his midsection by a piece of black armor; around the waist was a gold and blue sash. At his left side, the sleeve of that arm hanging limply down his side, were two swords, both sheathed and looking very menacing.

---The man stopped in the midst of the trees and gazed about as the sunrise started to fade into afternoon light, feelings masked by his apathetic composition. Something just didn't sit right with the demon lord about these woods; the scent of it seemed familiar and warning to him. "Milord Sesshoumaru?" came a voice to his right and near to the ground. The man glanced down and saw that his imp-like follower was looking up at him with confusion, caution, and hesitation. "Forgive my impudence, lord," the creature muttered, bowing slightly, "but I just wish to know why we stopped. It doesn't seem as if we are very close to our destination." The man said nothing, but simply held the toad's fearful and questioning gaze with his own calm golden one. After a moment, the man dropped the reigns of the dragon and began to walk away. "Milord?" the imp questioned.

---"Stay here with Rin, Jakken," the demon named Sesshoumaru replied. "Do not follow me, I shall return in a while. Be sure to keep Rin in your sights at all times, and make sure Ah and Un get some water and rest." He stopped and turned to give the imp a commanding glare before he set off, running faster than a horse, quieter than a cat, and following his nose and instincts.

---As the young demon lord ran through the trees, he noticed that they became thicker before they got sparser and that the unusual smell he had picked up earlier was now growing stronger and he could easily tell what it was now. Still, something compelled him to continue on, to find out exactly who, or what, created such a foul scent to arise. By the time he'd reached the end of the forest, the scent had grown thick enough for him to realize that more than a few people had died in the direction he was headed. As he stepped out to the edge of the cliff side at the forests' end, he saw a most grievous sight to any who had a heart.

---Although the background was pleasant enough; sporting high and snowy mountains to the north and forest land surrounding a large clearing, but that is where all the pleasant sights of scenery ended. Below him in the small valley, a bloody battlefield lay, still fresh as if the attack had happened just the night before. 'It may have,' Sesshoumaru thought. 'That _was_ the reason I came out here.' He leapt easily off the cliff and landed gracefully at the bottom, the stench of blood becoming greater every step he took towards the burning village. The front gate had first been bashed in, and then burned to the ground. A thought came to the young lord's mind as he picked his way around the demonic bodies littering the bloodstained ground that he didn't know this species of demons. Judging by their tails and ears, these were cat demons, but he didn't recognize the breed. 'So how does one go about finding such a community,' he thought as he entered through the pile of ashes formerly known as the main gate, eying the finely crafted weapons littering the ground, 'and how does one go about massacring it?'

---His sharp eyes caught the fact that although most of the village was either burning or ashes, one small shrine in the very center of town was left untouched by fire. True, the white stone pillars and landing were splashed with blood, but no permanent damage was done or visible. Sesshoumaru stopped his calm pace directly in front of it, using his knowledge of ancient Feline to read the small signs depicting what rested on the twin podiums on the landing. "Hisarew Rawn Khistuha Felina," he murmured aloud. "The fabled Sacred Book of Cats. I thought that had been destroyed centuries ago." He looked to the other sign, spotting a word he did not understand. "Sishta Rawn Seharown Celticsa Hisstor Mewon?" he mumbled. "The Book of Celtic Magicks and Lore? Who are these 'Celtics', and why do a group of felines have their books?" Before he had realized it, the young demon had stepped up onto the platform and picked up the second book, barely aware of the warmth that flowed through his arm as his bare skin touched the soft, yet obviously tough pine-green leather book.

---The book was not only the colors of the forests, but had a way of looking like one was trapped within the cover in the correct lighting. The title was placed in the center, but in a language that Sesshoumaru did not know. The words were nothing like the sharp strokes of katakana, nor the gentle strokes of hiragana, or even the complex combination of kanji, but instead soft and looping designs looking like none he'd ever seen, not even in his research extending to the godly languages. The title was imprinted into the leather, the indents filled perfectly even with solid gold. Fading gold-colored marks of the same bizarre language flitted across the cover and spine, as well as being written neatly on the slightly yellowing paper within. Something about this book made him wish he knew all its secrets, wish he could read the intricate looping language, or perhaps have known about these people before this village was massacred.

---Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru picked up both of the books and tucked them under his right arm, then ran back to the cliff, springing easily to the edge of the forest. Had he paid slightly more attention, he would have noticed that among the bodies were humans. A closer look would have told him that every single one of the humans was decapitated as well. But for now, he simply ran as quickly as he could, cursing himself for spending so much time away from his companions, for now the sun had reached the highest part of the sky. He didn't want the others following him to this place.

---And he certainly didn't want Rin to see that bloodbath.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sabriel: So, how was that for a weird twist-o'-fate?  
Chibi Jou: But nothing happened!  
Sabriel: Yes it did. You're just too dumb to see it.  
Chibi Jou: WHAT?!  
FeralCat: Inara, don't call your brother dumb.  
Chibi Jou: Yeah.  
FeralCat: And C.J., don't critisize your sister's writing.  
Chibi Jou: --whines-- What? Not fair!  
Sabriel: It is too. Now, onto reviewer responses!

Keiko Ookami – Thank you, I most definitely shall!

Sabriel: Anywho… wow, that's a short list, but that's it for now, so review if you want more and give me some constructive criticism every once in a while! Ja ne! (That means "see ya" in Japanese!)  
OnizukasOlderBrother: ..Why am I here?  
Sabriel: Everyone, meet my step-dad, OnizukasOlderBrother, OOB for short.  
OOB(for short):The polls are, 1) What will Sesshoumaru do with the books?  
Sesshoumaru: Question 2 askes what happens if I read the books.  
Sabriel: Hey! You're not supposed to be in here! --boots Sesshoumaru out--  
FeralCat: And Question 3 is will anyone ever bearpoor Miroku'schild?!  
Sabriel: Not on his life... At least, not 'till Naraku's dead. Anywho, sayonara my friends! Review please!


	5. Cat Trouble Part 1

AbhorsenSabriel87: Hey, wow I'm back.  
Chibi Jou: Yeah, finally, after like a year.  
Sabriel: Hey, shut up squirt! --boots him out-- Anyway, here's chappie five of Western Lord, Meet Western Maiden. I should officially say no more anonymous reviews… but then I'd lose half my reviewers… Kuso! --hits wall-- Ah well, whatever. Polls are saying 1) You'll find out here, now won't ya? 2) You'll find out in the nextchapter, and 3) Not in this lifetime until Naraku's 6 feet under. Here's the chappie.

-------------------------------------------------

_Always forgive your enemies and remember their names._

Robert Kennedy

The castle in which Sesshoumaru lived was actually something you would expect to find in Ireland or England; rather elegant but small, made of normal grey stone that somehow gave it an ethereal effect. It was not, as most would expect, of the typical Japanese variety, which would be far too easy to attack in his father's own words. This is a truthful statement, if you have known anything at all about castles, but that at the moment is not the subject. What _is_ important right now is _where_ within this marvelous castle the demon lord resided at the moment.

In all honesty, Sesshoumaru had placed himself within the library, which was quite expansive with writings from humans, demons, angels, and gods alike. Many books lay strewn about all across the various tables as he sat at a desk, puzzling over a certain manuscript; the Book of Celtic Magicks and Lore. For three days, three days after he returned to the castle after finding it, he puzzled over this book, comparing it to everything he could, but nothing got him any closer to deciphering it. The ancient scrawls were enticing and mystical, and they fascinated him to end… about as much as they infuriated him as well… Sighing, he pushed away from the book, leaning back against the chair and rubbing the bridge of his slender nose with his right hand, the left sleeve hanging limply to the side. _Is there no end to this madness?_ He thought darkly, lowering his arm to rest on the desk. _There is **nothing** to compare this script to, nor anything that can even **relate** to this infernal language!_ Glowering darkly at the book, he felt an odd sort of disappointment; not in the book, but more in himself for being unable to decipher the intricate lines. Noticing something strange, he leaned forward and examined the pages once more, frowning not in annoyance, but surprise.

As his fingers had left the pages, so had the writing left them, leaving the aged parchment as bare as the day before it'd been scribed upon. No traces of the golden lettering remained upon the sheets, as if there was never anything written there at all. Curious, the demon lord touched his fingers to the page once more, startled to discover that at his mere touch the designs had reprinted themselves, almost as the innocent illusion they never left. "How curious," Sesshoumaru murmured, picking up the tightly bound book and studying it thoughtfully. "What manner of spell would proclaim that _I_ should read when I cannot understand, but it fades when in absence of a living presence?"

"Things are not always as they seem, Lord Sesshoumaru." The statement brought the demon to his feet swiftly, his hand at his sword before the book had landed upon the desk in his haste. In the door of his library stood a man (more accurately a demon), grinning nearly from ear to animalistic ear. The smile reached his eyes, a blackened sapphire, not in warmth but malice and mischief. His skin was tanned by sun and wind, and his frame was easily that of a warrior in its lithe muscular tone. "Hello, Lord of the Western Lands," the man purred, stepping into the room casually, silence in his light step. "Allow me to introduce myself as Caien McDaniel." Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed; how'd he get past the castle's defenses? More importantly, what was a _cat_ **_hanyou_** doing in his castle in the _first_ place?

"I do not need an introduction," the demon god said coolly, never tearing his gaze from the humanoid feline. "What I do demand, however, is an explanation. Perhaps then I could be reasoned into not killing you for trespassing." The cat demon chuckled again, but stopped his approach. "Of course, my lord," he answered, the words sliding off his tongue as if by practice of dealing with nobles. "I came to offer you a bargain… and a proposition." Sesshoumaru said nothing during the pause, so the feline named Caien continued. "I heard you are having a bit of a problem with a half-demon, am I correct?" Sesshoumaru merely "hmm"ed in reply, making the cat's grin grow ever wider. "Therein lies the bargain," he addressed calmly. "This is where we are both the same. I am tracking a fugitive from my country, one that has the last of her bloodline and a rare treasure that was stolen by her family many years ago from mine. I need your help in reacquiring this treasure. In exchange, I can deal with your half-demon Inuyasha."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed darkly, angered at the cat's arrogance. Inuyasha would be _his_ to kill and no other's. "Inuyasha is a resilient and irritable problem," Sesshoumaru murmured. "What makes you think that _you_ will be able to destroy him and steal the Tetsusaiga?"

"The same reason I was able to enter your castle, my lord," came the amused reply. "I am simply more skilled than he is. Also, as you may have noticed, I as well am half human. I know his secret of transformation." Sesshoumaru's expression remained blank, but his mind frantically worked out what it'd heard. If this cat knew of Inuyasha's transformation night, he could easily kill him without any threat from the Tetsusaiga. If this feline killed Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru would not be able to receive the Tetsusaiga from his half-brother and wield its power. "I find your bargain to be meaningless and pointless," he finally stated, startling the cat into taking a step back. "I will kill Inuyasha in my own due time by my own means at his full and pathetic strength. As to your proposition, how is it that you would be able to kill a man with an advantage over you when you cannot even kill one of your own kind?"

The look of hate and contempt he received was enough for Sesshoumaru; he _didn't_ have the power to defeat either of them. He just wanted Sesshoumaru to help him without any benefit, then take what he wanted and disappear from whence he came. But the man removed the look and chuckled, bowing deeply. "You speak as a true noble, Lord Sesshoumaru," he stated, his voice brimming with amusement. "I assure you, we shall meet again. In the meantime, however, I request that book upon your desk." For the first time in the conversation, Sesshoumaru averted his eyes to the book, once more sporting blank pages. Flicking his eyes back to Caien, he asked, "And what need do you have for this book?"

"It is a book of my people, also stolen by that wretch's family," he answered, his voice untouched by the rage and scathing disgust in his eyes. "It belongs once more with my family, and since you cannot read it, I will exchange a spell within it for the book itself." Sesshoumaru didn't move. It could be a trick, but what did he need of a book he could not read? Slowly lowering his hand from the Tokejin, he picked up the emerald-leather book as the hanyou walked forward, then placed it in his hand. A spark of static electricity coursed through Sesshoumaru's fingers as he let go, making the appendages tingle as if they'd lost their tips. The cat hanyou gave a feral grin, then diverted his eyes to the book as he flipped open the pages. After only a moment, though, the grin darkened into a scowl.

"What sorcery is this?" he growled darkly, eyes flashing with black lightning in their rage. Sesshoumaru frowned. What was going on? Could he not read it either? Looking from the half-neko's face to the book, he almost smirked in amusement; the pages were blank. "Well now," he mused, "it looks as if you can use this book no more than I."

------------------------------

Sabriel: Well, that's it for now. -.-U It took me forever just to get this part done… the next chapter **should**-  
Chibi Jou: Emphasis on "should"...  
Sabriel: --glares at him-- …Be done in a few days.  
Chibi Jou: Or weeks.  
Sabriel: SHUT IT, STUPID MIDGIT BRAT! --whaps him with trademark giant rubber mallet--  
Chibi Jou: --oro eyes--  
Sabriel: --eye twitch-- Review. Now. Please... After review responses and the polls.

Trenity170 - Umm... no relation to Fox McCloud. My friend JT said the same exact thing, actually... Do note this: they can't be related be Nikki is a _cat_, not a _fox_. So... yeah. There.

LunarIce / LunarIce3: Thanks for the reviews, however random. --smiles-- They are loved. AND I WANT A SESSHI PLUSHIE TOO!

Memories-of-the-Shadows - Here it is, please enjoy. Sorry for the delay. -.-U Too much school work...

Now, onto the polls:  
1) What will this new guy Caien do about his little predicament?  
2) How come Sesshoumaru is able to see the letters and Caien can't?  
3) When will the Apocolypse be?  
That's it, I'm through, and now... I sleep. --falls asleep in chair--


End file.
